Commentary on Copeland et al.: Does xylazine in the United Kingdom foreshadow a European synthetic polysubstance drug crisis?

The author comments on a study by C. Copeland and colleagues on evidence of xylaxine in the United Kingdom illicit drug market beyond heroine supplies. Topics discussed include lessons from other heroin supply disruptions including a prior Taliban opium ban in 2000 to 2001, examples that may represent evidence of a broader shift toward synthetic drugs replacing agricultural products in Europe, and observation on the widespread barriers to accessing social and health services in North America.